We have a number of black shopping bags. They are reusable so we not only do not have to pay for plastic shopping bags, but we feel that we are “doing a little” to reduce land fill waste. Of course, anything made of plastic has its origins in the oil industry which is not at the top of my list of environmentally responsible industries anyway!

A couple of weeks ago, we were getting low on Ray’s biscuits and so decided to incorporate his walk into our need to replenish his stock. The store that sold his particular brand is a significant walk away (probably about 30 minutes), so we really “bundled up” for the weather and prepared for an enhanced (Ray induced) exercise program!

We got his biscuits and, after Ray had given the store assistant the “eyes routine” (and was rewarded accordingly) we headed for home. We had only been walking for about 10 minutes when I had a brilliant idea! We should take a little detour on our route in order to pass a Tim Horton’s* where we can get a couple of coffees to enjoy while on our way home. There was no resistance to that idea so we made our way to “Timmies” (slang). So far this was a typical walk with Ray.

Ray is quite familiar with “Timmies”. He has always had a passion for bread, stale or fresh, at home or off the sidewalk, and probably thinks that “Timmies” is a huge bread shop based on the aromas! To expand his education, we treated him some time ago to a plain TimBit**. He loved it!

Carol stayed outside with Ray while I went in and ordered our coffees and, as an afterthought, I added one plain TimBit to the order. When I met Carol outside and gave her a coffee, we decided to give Ray a small piece of the TimBit and then put the paper bag (with the rest in it) into the black shopping bag that I was going to carry home. What I had overlooked, and what Ray had not, was that there was already a bag of biscuits in that bag which was of obvious interest…… but now there was most of a TimBit going in there with it!

When Carol has the leash (as in this case), I will generally walk behind them so that Ray is free to focus on his walk without being distracted with what I might be doing. Occasionally, he will come to a stop for no obvious reason in which case I will pass them. Ray will inevitably let me go quite a distance ahead before he eventually decides that he had better catch up in order to keep “the pack” together!

While on our way home, Ray did decide to stop and I did decide to pass them. However, I had hardly gone a few yards when Ray apparently started moving. I was deliberately ignoring him but was conscious that he was extremely close to my side. It wasn’t long before Carol let me know that there was no possible way that he was going to let that black bag get away from him! I looked down and he was so close to the bag that his nose would have regularly touched it as it swung a little.

We certainly know where his priorities are! I can usually walk ahead and hide behind an object 80-100ft in front of him before he gets concerned, but give me a bag with a TimBit in it and he is my shadow!

*Tim Hortons is chain of coffee shops that also sell donuts, bagels and sandwiches etc. etc.

** A TimBit is a “ball” that originated in the middle of the donut. “Timmies” don’t waste anything!